Knee-supporter



F. T. SHEEHAN.

KNEE SUPPORTER., APPLICATION FILED-FEB. 24; I921.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

gvwe'nko'c E Z Jhckazv F. T. SHEEHAN.

KNEE SUPPORTER.

APPLICATION FILED 1 58.24, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES'CPATENT OFFICE. v

FRANK SHEEHAN, ITH QCA, NEW YORK.

xnnn-surronmnn.

To all whom it may concern.-

2 Be it known that l, FRANK T. SHEEI-IAN, a citizen of the UnitedStatesof America, residing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements inKnee-Supporters, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of asupporter or brace for the knee especially adapted to be worn byathletes in different branchesof sports such as running and jumping, thedevice being close fitting and comfortable to wear.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a combined braceand supporter for the knee that affords the desired protection by meansof a substantial covering and is not only comfortable to wear but isrendered safe by the employment of a particu lar form of adjustablesecuring means.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an elasticencircling supporter for a joint of'the human body, the device beingeasy and inexpensive to manufacture and possessing great strength anddurability.

lVith these general objects in view the invention consists in the novelcombination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described inconnection with the ac companying drawings and in which like referencecharacters designate correspond ing parts throughout the several views.

111 the drawings,

Figures 1 and 2 are elevational views of the opposite sides of thedevice with the buckles secured in position,

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view thereof with the lower bucklereleased,

Fig 1 is a top plan view of the same with a side portion shown insection,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through one of theside braces and Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view taken upon line VIVIof Fig. 3.

It being understood that my invention is especially adapted for wearingupon the knee, the same essentially comprises a tubular portion orbandage of elastic material such as the webbing 10 in the nature of aclose fitting sleeve for readily encircling the knee of the wearer whenin use and provided with side ribs or stays 11, the device being adaptedfor retention in its operative Specification of Letters Iatent. I Pateted Aug. '23, 1921. Application filed February 24, 1921. Serial )No.447,627.

position by the disclosed arrangement of cooperating straps 12 and 13. I

The stays 11' are preferably formed of leather positioned at oppositesides of the webbing sleeve 10 slightly spaced from the forward side 14of the sleeve with a felt cushioning strip 15 between theouter face ofthe sleeve 10 and the stays 11. Retaining pockets for the stays 11 areprovided by sewing leather portions 16 upon the sleeve 10 for receivingthe stays and the felt 15. Three loops 17, 18, and 19 are provided uponeach stay 11, with securing means such as rivets 20 firmly connectedthrough the said loops, the leather portion 16, stays 11 and cushions15,the inner heads of the rivets 20 being protected by the webbing 10 towhich the leather portions 16 are marginally securedby stitching 21. p

The rear seam or strengthening portion 22 of the sleeve 10 has a loop 23adjacent the bottom thereof for receiving the lower strap 13 which alsopasses freely through the lower loops 19 of the stays 11 and is providedwith a securing buckle 2 1 at the front of the device for securing thelatter firmly with the lower portion thereof below the patella of thewearer. The strap 12 may be formed of a single piece of elastic which isalso tr'ueof the strap 13 or the'strap 12 may be formed in two portionsas illustrated in Fig. 3 and in either event the central partof'thestrap member 12 issecured as'at 25 to the lower front portion ofthe webbing 10. The opposite end portions of the strap 12 then passobliquely through the intermediate loops 18 of the opposite stays 11 andcross each other within the upper loop 26-of the rear seam 22 and arethen returned forwardly through the upper loop 17 of the stays 11 forsecuring the end portions of the straps 12 by means of a buckle 27substantially centrally adjacent the top of the webbing 10. The stays l1possess flexibility outwardly and inwardly but are substantially rigidlongitudinally of the device as well as forwardly and rearwardly andconstitute braces for the knee joint and anchoring means for the elasticwebbing 10 forwardly and rearwardly of the stays 11. The manner ofpositioning the device upon the knee for actual service will be apparentfrom the detailed description thereof, the device being slipped over theknee after the manner strap 13 is then tightened by means of the shownand the material from which the same is manufactured is believedpreferable, it will nevertheless be understood that minor changes may bemade therein without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim new and desire tosecure by Letters latent, is:

1. A device of the class described comprising an elastic sleeve,longitudinal side stays upon the sleeve, a'strap centrally secured ad-,

jacent, the bottom of the sleeve extending diagonally upwardlyoverlapping at the rear and adjacent the top of the sleeve with the endsof the strap adapted to be secured togetherttorwardly of the sleeveabove said point of attachment between the strap and sleeve.

2. A device of the class described comprising an elastic sleeve adaptedfor encircling the knee, laterally flexible stays at the opposite sidesof the sleeve, cushions between said stays and sleeve, loops outwardlyof the stays secured to the stays and cushions, said loops being threein number for each stay, an elastic strap secured at its central portionadjacent the lower edge of the device extending obliquely upwardlyencircling the attachment between the first named strap and sleeve;

3. A deviceoit the class described comprising an encircling sleeve,leather receiving portions longitudinally of the opposite sides of thesleeve, a stay and a cushion within each of said leather portions, threeloops outwardly of each leather portion longitudinally of the device,holdt'ast devices secured through said loops, leather portions, staysand cushions and two securing straps three times encircling the devicewith each loop receiving a single strap.

ll A device of the class described comprising an encirclingsleeve,'leather receiving portions longitudinally of the opposite sidesof the sleeve, a stay and a cushion within each of said leatherportions, three loops outwardly of each leather portion longitudinallyof the device, holdfast devices secured through said loops, leatherportions, stay and cushions, relatively long and short straps encirclingthe upper and lower portions of the device respectively adjustablyextending through the upper and lower loops, the longer strap having itsmiddle portion obliquely downwardly encircling the sleeve passingthrough intermediatelypositioned ones of said loops and secured at itscentral pointadjacent the lower edge of the device inwardly of theshorter strap when positioned for use.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

FRANK T. SHEEHAN.

